Adults
Description
Size: 9”
Plumage/Description: Gray head, great throat, olive-green back,lemon yellow belly, and under-tail coverts. Dark tail with a pale/buffy color at the tip of the tail. Can be easily confused with the Western Kingbird.
Habitat: Residential areas, Grassland, Oak/Chaparral, Pinyon/Juniper,
Time of year: Spring, Summer
Relative Abundance: Common in appropriate habitat and season.
Behavior: Frequently seen sitting on telephone wires or on barbed wire fences. Actively hunts for flying insects from an open, exposed perch displaying a ‘hawking’ behavior. When feeding it flies from its perch, catches an insect in flight, then returns to either the same perch, or a perch nearby.
Diet: Insects
Similar species: Western Kingbird
Best Sites: Residential settings, Willow Lake Park (Heritage Park), Pioneer Park.
